I personally think you are better off getting a beginning sewer either a well working used machine or a new lightweight, inexpensive machine. Save your pennies and gift them with something more substantial if they really take to sewing/quilting.

My sis just got a Kenmore for $5 at a garage sale. She spent 2.5 hours cleaning and oiling it and it worked perfectly. Gave it to my other sister who has no sewing machine, but needed it for repairs. Believe me, there are nice, working machines out there for very little cost and a little cleaning.

Those old ones will hold up a lot longer too.

As much as I love vintage machines (i have 3) If I were to buy a machine for my young adult nieces at this point, I would buy a entry level basic machine from Walmart or a sewing outlet. That way, they will have an owner's manual to consult, most come with several different feet, they would have a warranty *some better that others, and most of all, it would have zig zag and some other stitches built in.
Yes, the new ones are not as good as the old workhorse pre 1970 Singers, but if they keep up with sewing or quilting and out grow the machine, by then they'll know what features they'll want on their next machine.

I personally would buy some of the new cheaper models, like Sears Kenmore or Brother. I got a free Brother one time and it runs great. I also had a Sears Kenmore that, while somewhat touchy on the tension once in a while, was a workhorse and loved to sew thick fabric, cotton not so much, but it worked. It worked so well and I quilted so much that I actually burned out the motor. It's very unnerving to literally see smoke coming out of your sewing machine. Guess I was really smoking. lol. I have a friend with the same model Kenmore that I burned up and it's still running great.

Be careful with this I got one for my niece and she used twice at my house and it broke and they wouldn't do anything about it. She now has the Janome Jem and I use it more they her and haven't had any problems

Ditto. I bought a Singer Touch & Sew for $200 and I was in LOVE with it. Until all the stitches failed, the backstitch went out and it started sounding like a jackhammer. And yes, I oiled it per instructions with Singer oil. It's just a peice of crap! This all happened within 2 years.

I would rather hand sew for the rest of my life than buy another cheap Singer.

Hancock's has some Janome mini's on sale for $50 http://www.hancockfabrics.com/Janome...VVviewprod.htm

4 stars on Amazon's reviews compared to 2 stars for the Singer T&S POS I got.

A few years ago, my then 11-year old DGD wanted me to teach her to sew. So, even though my DD had one of my older Singers (Athena 2010) she bought DGD one of the small Janomes for about $80 or $90. She loved it and used it quite a bit for a couple of years. Now she's 15 and I think sewing is the very last thing on her mind! The Janomes are pretty good, I hear.

buy a cheap new one and you will be cursing it soon. They are made to be throw aways. Let her use a well tuned older machine and she will quickly learn to appreciate the quality

Ditto to the above. As well, it has a speed regulator which I feel is a good device for young learners if your nieces are fairly young? It would give them more control than the older models which rely on foot pressure only. The ease of lifting and setting up because of the lightweight is another plus. I bought mine through Amazon and it came with a few quilting extras like a Perspex extension flat bed, a walking foot and a few others. I am very happy - great value for money for a beginner.

I vote for a brother machine over singer.